Browsing by Author "Moldovan, Cadmiel"
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- Development of an optimized drying process for the recovery of bioactive compounds from the Autumn Fruits of Berberis vulgaris L. and Crataegus monogyna JacqPublication . Moldovan, Cadmiel; Frumuzachi, Oleg; Babotă, Mihai; Menghini, Luigi; Cesa, Stefania; Gavan, Alexandru; Sisea, Cristian R.; Tanase, Corneliu; Dias, Maria Inês; Pereira, Carla; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Crişan, Gianina; Mocan, Andrei; Barros, LillianHot air drying has proven to be an efficient method to preserve specific edible plant materials with medicinal properties. This is a process involving chemical, physical, and biological changes in plant matrices. Understanding these processes will lead to an improvement in the yields of bioactive compounds. This study aims to optimize the drying process of two species’ fruits used in folk medicine, Berberis vulgaris and Crataegus monogyna. The optimized extracts’ antioxidant capacity was assessed using various assays, with the barberry extract showing very good activity (50.85, 30.98, and 302.45 mg TE/g dw for DPPH, TEAC, and FRAP assays, respectively). Both species exerted good fungal α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.34 and 0.56 mg/mL, respectively) but no activity on mammalian α-glucosidase. Additionally, this study identified and quantified the main bioactive compounds. The results presented herein are a breakthrough in industrializing this drying process. Additional studies are necessary to mechanistically understand the drying process involved in these plant materials.
- Optimization of the drying process of autumn fruits rich in antioxidants: A study focusing on rosehip (: Rosa canina L.) and sea buckthorn (Elaeagnus rhamnoides (L.) A. Nelson) and their bioactive propertiesPublication . Moldovan, Cadmiel; Babotă, Mihai; Mocan, Andrei; Menghini, Luigi; Cesa, Stefania; Gavan, Alexandru; Sisea, Cristian R.; Vodnar, Dan C.; Dias, Maria Inês; Pereira, Carla; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Crisan, Gianina; Barros, LillianNowadays, it is very important to identify the traditional uses of different plants and to create the context in which new cultural or economic value is given to local resources. In this study, two wild fruits traditionally harvested in autumn in Romania were selected to investigate the effects of drying conditions on the chemical compositions and bioactivities exerted by the extracts and to select the best conditions in terms of air temperature and time of drying. The extracts obtained were assessed in terms of antioxidant capacity and enzyme inhibitory activity, and their main bioactive compounds were identified and quantified. The data presented in this article represent a step forward in applying this process on an industrial-scale. This journal is
- Therapeutic uses and pharmacological properties of shallot (Allium ascalonicum): a systematic reviewPublication . Moldovan, Cadmiel; Frumuzachi, Oleg; Babotă, Mihai; Barros, Lillian; Mocan, Andrei; Carradori, Simone; Crisan, GianinaBackgroundShallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) is a traditional plant species used throughout the world both for culinary purposes and as a folk remedy. To date (i.e., April 2022), there is no report on the main pharmacological activities exerted by shallot preparations and/or extracts. Scope and ApproachThe aim of this study was to comprehensively review the pharmacological activities exerted by shallot, with rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria based on the scientific rigor of studies. Prisma guidelines were followed to perform the literature search. Key Findings and ConclusionsThe literature search yielded 2,410 articles of which 116 passed the required rigorous criteria for inclusion in this review. The extracts exert a potent antioxidant activity both in vitro and in vivo, as well as a strong inhibitory capacity on various pathogens with relevant implications for public health. Moreover, shallot can be used as adjuvant therapy in cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer prevention, and other non-communicable diseases associated with inflammatory and oxidative pathways. Future studies investigating the chemical composition of this species, as well as the molecular mechanisms involved in the empirically observed pharmacological actions are required.
- Untargeted phytochemical profiling and biological activity of small yellow onion (Allium flavum L.) from different regions of RomaniaPublication . Moldovan, Cadmiel; Frumuzachi, Oleg; Babotă, Mihai; Pinela, José; Barros, Lillian; Rocchetti, Gabriele; López, Víctor; Lucini, Luigi; Crisan, Gianina; Mocan, AndreiThis study examined the phytochemical profiles (mainly phenolics, carotenoids, and organosulfur compounds) and biological effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of Allium flavum (AF), a species of the Allium genus commonly known as small yellow onion. Unsupervised and supervised statistical approaches revealed clear differences between extracts prepared with samples collected from different areas of Romania. Overall, the AFFF (AF flowers collected from Faget) extract was the best source of polyphenols, also showing the highest antioxidant capacity evaluated through both in vitro DPPH, FRAP, and TEAC anti-radical scavenging assays and cell-based OxHLIA and TBARS assays. All the tested extracts exhibited & alpha;-glucosidase inhibition potential, while only the AFFF extract exhibited anti-lipase inhibitory activity. The phenolic subclasses annotated were positively correlated with the assessed antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities. Our findings suggested that A. flavum has bioactive properties worth exploring further, being a potential edible flower with health-promoting implications.